Automatic sluice device for impounding liquids at a relatively constant storage level



(Jet. 31, I961 0 c. H. BANNIST LIQUIDS AT VEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ER AUTOMATIC SLUICE DEVICE FOR IMPOUNDING A RELATIVELY CONSTANT STORAGE LE Flled Sept 1, 1959 uuu llvvewroe C5 CIL hf Bmvmsrse 174M Oct. 31, 1961 H. BANNISTER 3,006,150

c. AUTOMATIC 'SLUICE DEVICE FOR IMPOUNDING LIQUIDS AT A RELATIVELY CONSTANT STORAGE LEVEL Filed Sept. 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIQS. El 0 1 .FIG. 6.

1; i Wm l/vwgwrm? C5 CIL H Bmwwsrsa suite This invention relates to an automatic sluice device, of window-blind appearance, to control the flow of liquids, such as Water, over the weir of a reservoir in order to maintain the impounded water level at its maximum height, or to store water in channels, rivers and their tributaries, etc. When the liquid rises slightly over a predetermined storage level, the sluice opens by itself to let the accumulated excess flow freely, either through the total height of the sluice, or, in certain cases, through only a part of its height. In the latter case the sluice is provided with a safety locking device which controls its opening in two steps: the first, partially, to release a small excess flow of liquid, and the second, fully, if a larger amount, such as that of dead water, is fed into a reservoir. The sluice closes by itself as soon as the desired storage level is regained.

Usually, up to the present time, the weir or overflow of a reservoir has been left free, so that all excess water which reaches the reservoir may pass over it. After a flood has passed, there is a rather considerable volume of water accumulated which continues to drain (iii, and at present is lost. Now, with the sluice constituting this invention installed in such a weir, it is possible to retain this excess water without danger, as the sluice automatically closes as soon as the water level begins decreasing. Furthermore, as soon as the storage level of the accumu lated water begins to be surpassed, the sluice will open again, and continues to open and close according to each fluctuation over and back to storage level. In other words, the maximum level is now storable.

This automatic sluice has important advantages: (A) It works in sections and the construction of it permits vertical extensions as well as multiple horizontal sectional additions to cover a given space. (E) Its operadon-for impounding liquids to a relatively constant elevation point, but allowing all excess to flow freely through itis totally automatic. (C) The adaptable simplicity'of its construction makes it very suitable for using the potential capacity of channels, streams and rivers to store water in them without detriment to their ordinary drainage utility. (D) By maintaining large volumes of water nearest to where it is shed, torrents can be controlled and fioods reduced or prevented.

For a better understanding of the sluice operation according to the invention, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Usually in the lintel of such a weir we first build vertical transverse walls, and between these a plurality of plates of special shape are installed. These plates, when required, can swing on gudgeons placed on the walls in such a way that two opposite gudgeons define an horizontal axis of rotation; the plates being designed in such a way that their axis of rotation lies a little lower than the application point of the resultant of the pressures exerted on the plate when it is vertical or approximately vertical, which is the position it should take when the sluice is closed or the reservoir empty. Moreover, the plate has its center of gravity below its axis of rotation, which makes it close when there is no water acting on it, or when the water acts only up to apart of its head. When the level of water rises to a rates att predetermined height, the resultant of the pressures will 7 3,Wfi,l50 Patented Qct.

be such that the plate will turn to reach a position nearly horizontal and will permit the flow of the water it .was retaining. Finally, when several of these plates overlap to form a sluice, according to this invention, the action is such that the lower plates will not start turning until the higher ones have doneso. In this way, the sluice opens only when the head of water accumulated acts on the top plate; in this case the rest of the plates will turn, one after the other, from top to bottom in chain reaction. This eifect of rotation of the plates, which are long and narrow, resembles the action of Venetian window blinds, although in the latter the turning action is connected and simultaneous and not one after the other as the plates do.

After a flow, the water level behind the sluice starts decreasing. Now, due not only to the position of the center of gravity of the plates, more especially of the top one, but also to the lowering of the pressure on the upper part of the top plate which is above the axis of rotation, in a much larger prQPQrtion to the lowering of pressure on the lower .part of'the top plate, beneath the said axis of rotation, the resultant of the pressures is now displaced .to a point below the said ads of rotation. All these factors make the top plate turn, with force, to its nearly vertical, closed position. Furthermore, due to each plate overlapping the adjacent lower plate, the closing action of the higher plate is transmitted to the next plate below, forcing it to shut also, and this action will be communicated from plate to plate downwards, also in chain reaction, until the sluice is completely fclosed? When necessary, a security locking device may be :ll'ltroduced which will lockoneof the plates of thesluice, and since this plate is unable to move, .it automatically prevents all lower plates from opening Theplates controlled in this manner will not op,enso long .as ,a small flow of water is passing through the ones above them. The higher plate or plates open completely, but the one immediately above the locked plate can only open partially. For example if the third plate .from the top has been locked, the .top, one can open completely but the second plate only partially. Thissafety docking device, which is described .in detail further on, can only be triggered -;by a larger flow of water which can raise the level sufficiently to .turn an inclined lever-plate downstream and so release the locked plate which will then allow the sluice to open throughout its full height until the storage level is again recovered.

The accompanying drawings represent in a diagrammatic form, and merely as an example, a sluice section formed by three plates.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of an automatic sluice according to the invention, consisting of three plates, without the safety locking device; i V

FIG. 2 is a plan View, corresponding .to 1, showing a transverse sluice Wall over a weir opening; plates are not shown;

FIG. 3 is a partial downstream view of a reservoir weir with an automatic sluice in its opening, consisting of three sections andeach section with three plates as those shown-in FIG. 1; i i I FIG. 4 is a partial perspective of the end of a sluice plate;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of an automatic sluice in a river bed, which includes a safety locking device and also a supplementary bottom sluice to control the ,clearing of sand and debris; and

FIG, 6 is a detail of'the locking rod, hinged lever and part or" the plate controlled thereby.

Obviously, this invention can only be described in detail, in its schematic form, to illustrate the principles of its operation; the relative dimensions of its several parts, the number of plates, etc., will depend on the circumstances of each case. With this understanding, we shall proceed to give a detailed description of the figures, and, at the same time, point out further advantages and applications this automatic sluice may have.

In the figures, reference numeral 1 indicates the capping of a reservoir wall, in its weir section, or the sluice foundation in a river bed, etc., on which are placed transverse walls 3, preferably trapezoidal in cross-section. Fixed in the walls, for the case illustrated, are three gudgeons 4, 5 and 6, on which plates 7, 8 and 9' rotate, respectively. These plates, in transverse section, have a shape similar to two US joined by their horizontal parts after inverting one of them. The area above the axis of rotation of these plates is greater than the area below that axis, yet the lower part is heavier than the upper part. This characteristic permits the reinforcement of the lower part by increasing its thickness, incorporating ribs or brackets into its structure or doubling the plate backwards in the shape of a wedge or triangle as in 9C, FIG. 5'. When necessary the above mentioned gudgeons 4, 5 and 6 can be extended to form a continuous shaft which passes through the lateral walls to anchor the ends in the river sides or reservoir Wall. Every plate rests easily on its respective gudgeons, the one shown in the drawing and the opposite one in the other wall. The upper area of each plate, for example part 7A (FIG. 4) is larger than the area of the lower part 7B, FIG. 4, in such a proportion that when the water accumulated upstream of the sluice (the left side as shown in FIG. 1) nearly reaches the top level it) of this plate, the moment of the pressure on the part 7A, FIG. 4, with reference to the axis of rotation in gudgeon 4, FIG. 1, is greater than the moment of the pressure acting on the lower part 7B, FIG. 4, of this plate with reference to the same axis of rotation, and plate 7 will then swing clockwise till it reaches the substantially horizontal position shown for the plate 7 in FIG. 5, letting the water flow downstream, toward the right of FIG. 1.

It must be noted that the plate 7, as shown at the left of FIG. 4, has the upper part 7A, longitudinally shorter than the lower part 73, so that 7A may swing freely past the framework. Part 78 is slightly longer than the distance between the framework 3A, FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, of the transverse walls 3, .so that the plate is retained in its open position and can not be carried downstream. Besides, this special disposition of the lower part of the plate 7B, is such that it produces a sealing effect on the lower plate which it overlaps, or, it placed at the bottom of the sluice as is plate 9, on the framework 2 of the capping 1, or foundation, and on framework SA, on the transverse walls 3. In this manner the sluice in its closed position, remains efficiently sealed to stop the water flow. When simple sluices are required, the transverse walls 3 and the framework 3A can be replaced by T-shaped iron bars'fixed in concrete foundations.

When the top plate '7 moves to the horizontal position, it uncovers the upper part of the plate that follows immediately below, in this case the one indicated by number 8, which is then immediately attacked by the water pressure, and, at the same time the reverse of 7A, near gudgeon 4, presses on the curved edge 11 of the plate 8 (FIG. 5) and cooperates with the force exerted against plate 8 by the difference in pressures to turn plate 8 toward a horizontal position. In turn, when plate 8 rotates, it exerts a similar action upon the next plate 9 below, the result being that the sluice opens completely and gives a full flow downstream until the storage level is reached.

To prevent back pressures between overlapped closed plates, as for instance, between 7B and 8, the lower plate may be perforated as shown at 12, FIG. 4.

While the Water flows downstream, the sluice is necessarily in open position by reason of the differences in pressure, as explained before, as well as by reason of the velocity of the water which flows above and below the plates, so that these plates are maintained practically parallel to the liquid streamlines. Now, when the storage level is reached, the upper plate will take a nearly vertical position due to two causes: one, because of the effect of its own weight, its center of gravity being below its axis of rotation, and the other, because the greater water pressure on its lower part will prevail over the effect of the lesser pressure acting upon its upper part, so that this plate will necessarily have to take the closed position. As soon as the lower part overlaps the axis of rotation of the lower plate it interrupts the flow and pressure on the upper part of the lower plate, which in turn, and in the same manner, forces the next, or third plate, to effect the same closing motion, and so on, successively, until all the plates close, as if by chain re action. The closing operation is quick, throughout all the height of the sluice, and, as may be seen, the action is completely automatic.

In FIG. 5 a safety locking device is illustrated. This will allow only a comparatively small volume of water to flow through at first, which may be the forerunner of a larger flood. Usually, in this case only the upper plate 7 will rotate up to approximately while the following lower plate 8 is prevented by plate 9 from turning beyond a very much smaller angle, because plate 9 is locked by means of lock bar 25, which can move on an adequate support 26 adjusted on wall 3, or behind framework 3A. The upper end of this locking bar 25 is provided with a head 2t) which rests over an angular lever 23, which in turn rotates on a shaft 24 fixed on wall 3. Another gudgeon 22 supports, by means of adequate connecting bars a lever plate 21 inclined towards upstream as shown in FIG. 5. To offset the pressure excited by the water on the upper part 9A of plate 9, a lunged lever 25A is employed, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, which bears against the downstream side of the supporting transverse bar 27, fixed to plate 9. When this plate is normally closed, the lever 25A is pivoted upwardly about gudgeon 25B seated in the wall 3 to lock transverse bar 27 in its raised position. In this position the lifted end of lever 25A may be engaged under the lower end of bar 25; in this manner plate 9 is locked to prevent it opening until the locking bar 25 is eventually operated to release lever 25A and open all the sluice. Now, when the impounded water reaches near the upper edge of plate 7, this plate will rotate to the open posttion, but the other plates will not do so because plate 9 is locked, and will permit plate 8 to rotate only through a very small angle, as hereinbefore explained. If a flood develops and water reaches and strikes the inclined leverplate 21, it will also be flowing over open plate 7 and therefore over the sluice; due to its velocity this water will rotate the inclined lever plate 21 in a downstream direction thus moving the angular lever 23, thereby lifting bar 25 and releasing the hinged le-ver 25A to set free plate 9. As explained before, this action will then completely open the sluice.

After a flood which unlocks the safety device has subsided and the storage level is regained, the sluice will naturally be closed and the pivotally mounted lever 25A may then be lifted by hand and engaged under the lock bar 25. There is no inconvenience in doing this, as it will be necessary, after a flow of water of such importance as to operate the unlocking of the safety device, to check over the works and verify that the sluice has not been obstructed by floating materials carried by the stream during floods. The safety locking mechanism, placed around framework 3A and on wall 3, should be protected by means of an adequate cover.

The safety locking device is not so important when a plurality of horizontal sections are used to control the water, as shown in FIG. 3. In such cases one or more of these sections can be constructed at slightly different top levels, so that they start operating at different intervals. All of them will work together only when the flow is so large that the total cooperation of them is necessary.

When it is intended to recover the soil sedimentation, the fluvial bed can be periodically cleaned. Otherwise it may be necessary to have a supplementary bottom sluice closed by a sliding valve 28, FIG. 5, operated by hand wheels 29, fitted on the joining bars 30 to control the clearing off of sedimentation which may obstruct plate 9.

The above description will give an idea of the useful applications this invention has to offer for works of the general type in question. Its characteristics consist in controlling a large flow so as to maintain the level of impounded water in a reservoir within limits which had not been possible heretofore, as well as its automatic operation. When using multiple section sluices, safety locking devices are not neccsary, in which case the only vital parts are gudgeons and the bearings for these plates over the gudgeons. These factors make the maintenance very simple and low in cost, and reduce the danger of the plates getting stuck due to rust, and bearing troubles are reduced to a minimum.

This automatic sluice allows more water to be stored in reservoirs already built and also makes it possible to build small and even medium sized reservoirs within the same stream or river bed, always keeping the storage level within very narrow limits. This being possible due to the special characteristic of this type of sluice which opens and closes rapidly for its full height with a safe and positive action.

By maintaining the water at the greatest acceptable depth, it produces in many cases sedimentation of vegetable soil which is carried in suspension by the fluvial stream as a product of erosion in other parts of its basin, and, at an appropriate moment, after a flood, or when the river or stream is reduced to dry season flow, or when the impounded water has been used, as for the purpose of irrigation, then the fertile sedimentary soil can be recovered and used for leveling and fertilizing the mar-. ginal land; otherwise, if this sluice had not been employed for such river reservoirs, this fertile sedimentary soil would simply be carried away and lost in the sea, increasing embankment damages to ports.

There is no difiiculty in manually operating this sluice, either to release the impounded water for use further downstream, or for any other purpose. Consisting of movable plates, almost in equilibrium, around horizontal shafts, with comparatively little effort the plate at water level can be pushed open, then all the lower plates will automatically open after it in chain reaction. If it is necessary to keep the plates in open position, bars or hooks can be used for the purpose.

While this invention has been described in connection with a particular use, other applications will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is not, therefore, desired that the invention be limited to the particular construction described and illustrated; it is intended by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic gate for use in a sluice of the type having conventional sidewalls, said gate comprising a plurality of plates pivotally mounted between said side walls to swing about parallel horizontal axes transverse to said sidewalls between an approximately vertical and an approximately horizontal position, the area of each plate above the axis about which it swings being greater than the area therebelow, said plates being mounted one above the other, with the lower portion of each plate other than the lowermost plate, when approximately vertical, overlapping the upstream side of the upper portion of the plate below -it down to the level of the horizontal axis of the latter plate and forming therewith a substantially watertight seal, thereby relieving the pressure against the upper portion of the last mentioned plate sufliciently to enable the stream pressure against the lower portion thereof to force it into its approximately vertical position.

2. An automatic gate as claimed in claim 1 in which at least the uppermost plate is provided with stop means cooperating with an abutment surface on said sidewalls to prevent the lower part of said plate from swinging downstream as said plate moves from its vertical toward its horizontal position.

3. An automatic gate as claimed in claim 2 in which said stop means comprise longitudinal extensions of the ends of the lower portions of said plates which rest against transverse portions of said walls of said sluice to form therewith a watertight seal.

4. An automatic gate as claimed in claim 1 in which the weight of the portion of each plate below the axis about which said plate swings is greater than the weight of the portion of said plate above said axis.

5. An automatic gate as claimed in claim 1 provided with manually operable means for locking one of the lower plates in its approximately vertical position and means for releasing said locking means, said releasing means comprising a pivotally mounted plate positioned above said gate to be actuated by the flow of water thereover.

6. An automatic gate as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of sets of plates, the several sets of plates being disposed end to end and the individual plates in each set being disposed one above the other, the upper edges of the plates of at least one of said sets of plates being horizontally staggered with respect to the upper edges of the plates of the other sets.

7. An automatic gate as claimed in claim 1 in which the horizontal axis of each plate is positioned slightly downstream from the axis of the plate therebelow, so that said plates are slightly inclined when in their approximately vertical positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6,751 Torrey Oct. 2, 1849 511,516 Dean Dec. 26, 1893 778,691 Mirza Dec. 27, 1904 1,438,913 Grillich Dec. 12, 1922 1,938,675 Young Dec. 12, 1933 2,101,973 Becher Dec. 14, 1937 

